Multi-Z Window

Multi-Z Window Controls

The Multi-Z window is a special form of Zap window that can display the same area from successive slices in an array of panels. Z increases from left to right within a row and then from bottom to top in the window. The current Z value is shown in the middle panel of the array (for an even number of panels, the middle panel number is the number of panels divided by two, so it is below or to the left of the window center). Panels outside the range of available slices are left blank. The window first opens with a single row of 5 panels, but parameters such as the number of rows and columns and the window size and location will be remembered between invocations of 3dmod. The window retains as much of the Zap window functionality as makes sense, but many features do not exist. For example, there is no rubber band, modeling is not allowed, and contrast floating cannot be based on subareas.

Mouse Button Assignments

Descriptions below refer to the first, second, and third mouse buttons. By default, these correspond to left, middle, and right buttons of a 3-button mouse, but you can change these assignments in the 3dmod Preferences dialog, accessed via the Edit-Options menu entry.

The Regular Zap Tool Bars

The up and down arrows step the zoom factor up or down.
The zoom edit box shows the current zoom factor and allows one to type in a custom zoom.
The checkerboard button toggles between fast rendering and slower but higher quality interpolated image rendering.
The lock button can lock the Multi-Z window at the current Z value. When locked, the Z value of a Multi-Z window can be changed with controls or hot keys in the window, but that will not change the current Z value of other windows in the program.
The centering button toggles between two modes of centering when the window is redrawn in response to various actions such as changing the current point. The default is to recenter the image only when the current model point comes near an edge. In centering mode, the image will be kept centered on either the current model point or the current image point. If you want to get the current point centered in the window without staying in centering mode, you can just toggle this button on and off.
The Z slider allows one to riffle through images or select a particular section to display in the middle panel.
The section edit box shows the current section shown in the middle panel and allows one to go directly to a section by typing in a number.
If multiple image files have been loaded into 3dmod, three additional controls and the image file number and name appear on a separate tool bar. The time lock button will prevent changes in other windows from changing the time (image file) displayed in this Multi-Z window, and vice versa. The left and right arrows will step backward and forward in time.

The Multi-Z Tool Bar

The # X spin box allows you to set the number of columns of panels, i.e., the number in the X direction.
The # Y spin box allows you to set the number of rows of panels, i.e., the number in the Y direction.
The Z step spin box allows you to set the interval in Z between successive panels.
The Middle check box controls whether the model is drawn in the middle panel.
The Others check box controls whether the model is drawn in panels other than the middle.

Hot Keys special to the Multi-Z window

Ctrl+S, Shift+S or Ctrl+Shift+S saves the Multi-Z window into a TIFF file, a file in the primary non-TIFF format, or a file in the second non-TIFF format. (Use the menu entry Edit-Options and go to the Behavior tab to select the primary non-TIFF file format. The second non-TIFF format will be PNG if the primary one is not PNG, or JPEG if the primary one is PNG.)
ESC will close the Multi-Z window.

For other keys, see Help - Hot Keys in the 3dmod Info Window.

Mouse button function in movie mode

First Button Click: Select the current viewing point, marked by a small cross. In addition, clicking in a panel other than the middle one changes the current Z value and moves that image to the middle window.
First Button Drag: Pan the image if it is larger than the panel.
Second Button Click: Start movie in forward direction, or stop movie.
Third Button Click: Start movie in backward direction, or stop movie.

Mouse button function in model mode

First Button Click: Make the nearest visible model point be the current model point. If there is no point nearby, this detaches from the current point and contour and selects a current viewing point instead. Again, clicking in a panel other than the middle one changes the current Z value.
First Button Drag: Pan the image if it is larger than the panel.
Ctrl - First Button Click: Selects the nearest visible point as the current point but also adds this contour to a list of selected contours. Selected contours in this list will be displayed with a distinguishable line thickness. If a contour is already selected, Ctrl-clicking on it will deselect it. The selection list is cleared by doing an ordinary first button selection of any model point, or by a variety of other operations, mostly ones that select a different contour from the current one. Contours from more than one object can be selected with this button.
Ctrl - First Button Drag: Adds any contours that the mouse crosses to the list of selected contours. Contours from more than one object can be selected this way. As soon as a contour is selected in a panel other than the middle one, that image is moved to the middle panel. This could be either useful or surprising.

Help Index